Boot Camp

I’m only a few weeks into my Officer Commissioning Course at RMA Sandhurst in Surrey, and I have to say that whilst I knew it would be tough, I’m going to have to say it again – it’s really tough. There’ve been a couple of occasions now where I’ve doubted my strength to get through the training and I’ve been close on one occasion to packing it in altogether.

Fortunately for my career, there’s really very little time for self-pity or doubt at Sandhurst, and what little I’ve exhibited to my superiors has quickly been disbanded by their insatiable appetite for success. Clearly for them, making sure that we all pass-out at the Sovereign’s Parade at the end of term as fully commissioned British Army Officers is important to their success, never mind our own.

It’s also obvious that the Army was always going to be physically demanding, and so far, I’ve had to push myself harder than I’ve ever done before. Knowing that this was going to be the case, I wanted to make sure that I gave myself the best start and so with a little help from the Bank of Mum and Dad, I set out to buy myself equipment that I knew would be really useful before I arrived – something I’d be glad to have bought when things got really hard. Footwear is really important in the Army and after reading many reviews about Magnum Boots and hearing about them from other Army colleagues, I decided to use my money towards a pair.

It seem like a small thing to many people, but when you’re on your feet all day, and sometimes all night, dry, comfortable and sturdy footwear boosts your confidence. Sometimes I’ve seriously thought that I’ve only managed to get through some of the training because of my Magnums. I’m beginning to learn fast however that becoming a British Army officer will be as much down to me as it is my boots - but they’re definitely helping me along the way.